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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1940

A study of the air movement in two aircraft-engine cylinders

Studies were made of the air movements in the NACA glass-cylinder apparatus using cylinder heads similar to those on the Wright R-1820-G engine and the Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine as modified by the Eclipse Aviation Corporation to use fuel-injection equipment. The air movements were made visible by mixing small feathers with the air; high-speed motion pictures were than taken of the feathers as they swirled about the inside the glass cylinder. The test engine speeds were 350, 500, and 1,000 r.p.m. Motion pictures were also taken of gasoline sprays injected into the cylinder during the intake stroke. The air flow produced by each cylinder head is described and some results of the velocity measurements of feathers are presented. The apparent time intervals required for vaporization of the gasoline sprays are also given.

Lee, Dana W↗
NASA NTRS1990

Sterilization System

Cox Sterile Products, Inc.'s Rapid Heat Transfer Sterilizer employs a heat exchange process that induces rapid air movement; the air becomes the heat transfer medium, maintaining a uniform temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. It features pushbutton controls for three timing cycles for different instrument loads, a six-minute cycle for standard unpackaged instruments, eight minutes for certain specialized dental/medical instruments and 12 minutes for packaged instruments which can then be stored in a drawer in sterile condition. System will stay at 375 degrees all day. Continuous operation is not expensive because of the sterilizer's very low power requirements.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1939

A Study of Air Flow in an Engine Cylinder

A 4-stroke-cycle test engine was equipped with a glass cylinder and the air movements within it were studied while the engine was being motored. Different types of air flow were produced by using shrouded intake valves in various arrangements and by altering the shape of the intake-air passage in the cylinder head. The air movements were made visible by mixing feathers with the entering air, and high-speed motion pictures were taken of them so that the air currents might be studied in detail and their velocities measured. Motion pictures were also taken of gasoline sprays injected into the cylinder on the intake stroke. The photographs showed that: a wide variety of induced air movements could be created in the cylinder; the movements always persisted throughout the compression stroke; and the only type of movement that persisted until the end of the cycle was rotation about the cylinder axis.

Lee, Dana W↗
NASA NTRS1939

The Influence of Directed Air Flow on Combustion in Spark-Ignition Engine

The air movement within the cylinder of the NACA combustion apparatus was regulated by using shrouded inlet valves and by fairing the inlet passage. Rates of combustion were determined at different inlet-air velocities with the engine speed maintained constant and at different engine speeds with the inlet-air velocity maintained approximately constant. The rate of combustion increased when the engine speed was doubled without changing the inlet-air velocity; the observed increase was about the same as the increase in the rate of combustion obtained by doubling the inlet-air velocity without changing the engine speed. Certain types of directed air movement gave great improvement in the reproducibility of the explosions from cycle to cycle, provided that other variables were controlled. Directing the inlet air past the injection valve during injection increased the rate of burning.

Rothrock, A M↗
NASA NTRS1986

Quality assurance procedures for environmental control and monitoring in plant growth facilities. Report of the North Central Regional 101 Committee on Growth Chamber Use

This report includes procedures for ensuring the quality of the environment provided for plant growth in controlled environment facilities. Biologists and engineers may use these procedures for ensuring quality control during experiments or for ensuring quality control in the design of plant growth facilities. Environmental monitoring prior to and during experiments is included in these procedures. Specific recommendations cover control, acquisition, and calibration for sensor types for the separate parameters of radiation (light), temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and air movement.

NASA Discipline Number 61-10↗
NASA NTRS1932

Considerations of Air Flow in Combustion Chambers of High-Speed Compression-Ignition Engines

The air flow in combustion chambers is divided into three fundamental classes - induced, forced, and residual. A generalized resume is given of the present status of air flow investigations and of the work done at this and other laboratories to determine the direction and velocity of air movement in auxiliary and integral combustion chambers. The effects of air flow on engine performance are mentioned to show that although air flow improves the combustion efficiency, considerable induction, friction, and thermal losses must be guarded against.

Spanogle, J A↗
NASA NTRS1980

Effect of production microclimate on female thermal state with increased temperature and air humidity

The thermal state of women during the effect of high air temperature and relative humidity with a varying degree of physical loads was studied. Parameters for air temperature, relative humidity, and air movement were established. It was established that in women the thermo-regulatory stress occurs at lower air temperatures and with lower physical loads than in men. The accumulation of heat in women was revealed with lower air temperature than in men. It is concluded that to preserve the normal physiological state of the female organism it is necessary to create more favorable microclimate conditions and decrease the physical loads.

Machablishvili, O. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

On the behaviour of a stressed cotton canopy in a direct air stream

Reflectance variations of a stressed cotton canopy were conducted in the presence of a fan-generated air stream to investigate the effects of air movement and the resulting temperature changes on remotely-sensed data. The initial drop in reflectance after application of the air stream was found to be greatest in the morning because leaf turgor was at a maximum, enabling leaves on the windward side of the canopy to assume surprisingly stable vertical positions. By afternoon, a reduction in leaf turgor was responsible for less stem displacement and consequently a reduction in light-trapping capability. However, reflectance oscillations were greater because the leaves had become sufficiently limp to flutter at the edges and about the petioles exposing both adaxial and abaxial surfaces to the incident light.

Schutt, J. B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Application of Advanced Earth Observations and Model Simulations to Improve Air Quality Monitoring in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayan Region

Air pollution is a serious environmental health concern in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region of south-central Asia, as rapid industrialization and population growth have led to increased anthropogenic emissions from transportation, residential, industrial, energy, and biomass burning sources. Natural emissions from dust and forest fires are additional sources of air pollutants that can exacerbate air quality in the region. The combination of the complex pollutant mixtures and atmospherically stable weather conditions during the winter monsoon can visibility reductions and hazardous air quality from persistent haze episodes. The Kathmandu Valley is especially vulnerable to extreme haze issues due to the surrounding mountains that restrict air movement and retains pollutants in the atmosphere. This study uses state-of-the-art satellite observations and modeling capabilities in conjunction with ground-based networks to provide a comprehensive data toolkit for advancing air quality monitoring and forecasting decisions in the HKH region. The toolkit includes new generation satellite observations from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), and Advanced Meteorological Imager, which provide high spatiotemporal information on NO2, HCHO, SO2, O3, and aerosol optical depth (AOD). Particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) are derived from the satellite-retrieved AOD using ground-based observations and forecast model data. The satellite observations are also used to initialize and constrain forecast model systems designed for the HKH region. This talk will highlight the performance of the air quality toolkit for enhancing decision-making processes during exceptional air quality events in the region. Note: Presentation includes additional attachment of full presentation with sound and animation (best when viewed as slide show) with runtime of 15 min 32 secs

Aaron Naeger↗
NASA NTRS1937

Effect of Nozzle Design on Fuel Spray and Flame Formation in a High-Speed Compression-Ignition Engine

Fuel was injected from different type of injection nozzles into the combustion chamber of the NACA combustion apparatus, operated as a compression-ignition engine. High speed motion pictures were taken of the fuel sprays and combustion. Single-orifice nozzles of 0.008, 0.020, and 0.040 inch diameter, and multiorifice nozzles having 2, 6, and 16 orifices were tested. Nozzles having impinging jets and slit orifices were also included. The photographs indicate that the rate of vapor diffusion from the spray is comparatively slow and that this slow rate of diffusion for combustion chambers with little or no air flow prevents the compression-ignition engine from giving the high performance inherent in the high compression ratios. The sprays from the multiorifice nozzles destroyed the air movement to a greater extent than did those from single orifice nozzles. It is concluded that high performance cannot be realized until the methods of distributing the fuel are improved by means of the injection-nozzle design, air flow, or both.

Rothrock, A M↗
NASA NTRS1971

A predictive model of human performance.

An attempt is made to develop a model describing the overall responses of humans to exercise and environmental stresses for prediction of exhaustion vs an individual's physical characteristics. The principal components of the model are a steady state description of circulation and a dynamic description of thermal regulation. The circulatory portion of the system accepts changes in work load and oxygen pressure, while the thermal portion is influenced by external factors of ambient temperature, humidity and air movement, affecting skin blood flow. The operation of the model is discussed and its structural details are given.

Walters, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Simulation of terrain effects using a mesoscale mixed-layer model

The model discussed here is described in the study by Han et al. (1982) and is based on the shallow-water equations. It is noted that the mixed layer is another name for the earth's turbulent boundary layer when the latter is well stirred vertically, as under typical daytime conditions over land. The model abbreviates the vertical resolution by using only one and one-half layers; in this way, the computer power can be concentrated on the horizontal resolution of topographic effects. It is found that a steady flow pattern evolves over terrain when steady forcing occurs in the absence of surface heating or mixed-layer entrainment and that this simplification is removed when surface heating and entrainment do occur. While these findings are regarded as interesting, it is believed that they may be model dependent. The pressure adjustments upon the mixed layer caused by air movements above the mixed layer may be sufficient to preclude the evolution of a steady state on the mesoscale, even under the most ideal conditions.

Deardorff, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1932

Stresses Produced in Airplane Wings by Gusts

Accurate prediction of gust stress being out of the question because of the multiplicity of the free air movements, the exploration of gust stress is restricted to static method which must be based upon: 1) stress measurements in free flight; 2) check of design specifications of approved type airplanes. With these empirical data the stress must be compared which can be computed for a gust of known intensity and structure. This "maximum gust" then must be so defined as to cover the whole ambit of empiricism and thus serve as prediction for new airplane designs.

Kussner, Hans Georg↗
NASA NTRS2001

Low Stretch PMMA Burning in Microgravity: Status of the Ground-Based Program and New ISS Glovebox Experiment SALSA

The objective of this ground-based program is to study low stretch diffusion flames burning PMMA as the solid fuel to determine the relationship between buoyant low stretch burning in normal gravity and forced flow low stretch burning in microgravity. The low stretch is generated in normal gravity by using the buoyant convection induced by burning the bottom of a large radius of curvature sample. Low stretch is also generated using the Combustion Tunnel drop tower rig (2.2 and 5.2 second facilities), which provides a forced convective low velocity flow past smaller radius of curvature samples. Lastly, an ISS glovebox investigation is being developed to study low stretch burning of PMMA spheres to obtain long duration testing needed to accurately assess the flammability and burning characteristics of the material in microgravity. A comparison of microgravity experiment results with normal gravity test results allows us to establish a direct link between a material's burning characteristics in normal gravity (easily measured) with its burning characteristics in extraterrestrial environments, including microgravity forced convective environments. Theoretical predictions and recent experimental results indicate that it should be possible to understand a material's burning characteristics in the low stretch environment of spacecraft (non-buoyant air movement induced by fans and crew disturbances) by understanding its burning characteristics in an equivalent Earth-based low stretch environment (induced by normal gravity buoyancy). Similarly, Earth-based stretch environments can be made equivalent to those in Lunar- and Martian-surface stretch environments (which would induce partial-gravity buoyancy).

Olson, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Urban Climatology

This section on Urban Climates provides a basic understanding of what comprises the urban climate and what factors control the overall development of the urban climate. We also discuss in this section, methods for evaluating urban climate characteristics and forcing functions as well as how the urban heat island effect comes into play as a dynamic influence on urban climatology. Additionally, we examine and discuss the major radiation and energy balance of city (i.e., shortwave and longwave radiation, albedo, net all-wave radiation, total energy balance, and sensible latent, and storage heat) and the interactions of these energy balances with the lower atmosphere. The use of remote sensing to measure urban surface temperatures as a driving force in the development of the urban heat island effect is presented. We also discuss how the overall moisture, precipitation, humidity, and air movement in cities (i,e,, wind speeds and wind direction) and wind environment of the city affects urban climatology.

Brazel, Anthony J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Changes in soluble sugar, starch, and alcohol dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to N2 diluted atmospheres

Proper exchange of atmospheric gases is important for normal root and shoot metabolism in plants. This study was conducted to determine how restricted air supply affects foliar carbohydrates, while using the marker enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to report on the oxygenation status of the rootzone. Fourteen-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants grown singly in 7-ml tubes containing agarified nutrient medium were placed in coupled Magenta vessels and exposed for six days to either ambient air or one of six different air/nitrogen dilutions. Redox potential of the agar medium was measured immediately after harvesting and freezing leaf tissue, and then root systems were quickly extracted from the agar and frozen for subsequent analyses. Redox potential measurements indicated that this series of gas mixtures produced a transition from hypoxia to anoxia in the root zones. Root ADH activity increased at higher rates as the redox potential neared anoxic levels. In contrast, ADH mRNA expression quickly neared its maximum as the medium became hypoxic and showed little further increase as it became anoxic. Foliar carbohydrate levels increased 1.5- to 2-fold with decreased availability of metabolic gases, with starch increasing at higher concentrations of air than soluble carbohydrate. The results serve as a model for plant performance under microgravity conditions, where absence of convective air movement prevents replenishment of metabolic gases.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗
NASA NTRS1993

Composite, large spirochetes from microbial mats: spirochete structure review

Phenomena previously unknown in free-living spirochetes are reported: large-sized cells with variable diameter (length to 100 microns, width between 0.4 and 3.0 microns), composite structure (smaller spirochetes inside larger ones), and positive phototropic behavior. These bacteria, Spirosymplokos, are compared with all other spirochete genera. The large spirochete, grown in mixed culture, was studied live and by transmission EM. The protoplasmic cylinder was replete with spherical granules 20-32 nm in diameter, and three to six periplasmic 26-nm flagella were inserted subterminally. Comparably granulated and flagellated small spirochetes were located inside the protoplasmic cylinder and in the periplasm of the large ones. When exposed to air, movement became erratic, protoplasmic cylinders retracted to lie folded inside the outer membrane, and refractile membranous structures formed. From one to four structures per still-moving spirochete were seen. Spirosymplokos was enriched from laboratory samples exposed to oxygen-rich and desiccating, but not dry, conditions for at least 4 mo after removal of microbial mat from the field.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗